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Rh , whether they begin to live in their mothers' wombs, and there die, or, after being born, pass from this life without the sacrament of holy baptism, which is given in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, ; because, although they had no sin of their own committing, they have nevertheless incurred, by their carnal conception and nativity, the damnation of original sin."

It would be easy to cite other similar passages showing how prevalent was the belief in infant damnation among the orthodox Christians of that early period. But it will doubtless be more satisfactory to the reader, as indeed it is more important to our present purpose, to exhibit the belief of the church on this subject at a later period. We therefore dismiss the ancient authorities, and cite next the opinion of the celebrated John Calvin, who flourished during the sixteenth century, and of whom an eminent writer on theology has said: "As a theologian he stands in the very foremost rank of those of any age or country." Calvin was one of the "Reformers," and established at Geneva that system of church polity called Presbyterianism, which was originally considered an essential part of Calvinism. And the great number of Protestant Christians who have endorsed the doctrines of Calvin, and who have, therefore, been known as Presbyterians, High Calvinists, Strict Calvinists, Moderate Calvinists, &c., is proof of the high repute in which this man and his doctrines have been